For most of you, your digital product data remains siloed, inaccessible, or hidden across functions....
In today’s complex manufacturing environments, product data isn’t just a reference—it’s the lifeblood of decision-making across the enterprise. Yet, too often, this vital information remains siloed in systems designed for power users. With the release of Windchill Navigate 10.0, PTC is transforming that dynamic—equipping every stakeholder with convenient, governed access to the most up-to-date product data and workflows they need to do their job confidently and effectively.
Empowering the Digital Enterprise with PLM
Windchill Navigate 10.0 delivers a new standard for role- and task-based PLM engagement by empowering manufacturers to maximize the value of their existing Windchill investment. This release is not just a product update—it’s a strategic enabler for customers and a bold new investment from PTC in driving productivity, quality, and agility across the enterprise.
With enhanced integration capabilities, intuitive interfaces, and rapid deployment tools, Navigate 10.0 strengthens its role as the enterprise collaboration enabler for product lifecycle data. This release delivers faster time to value, seamless enterprise interoperability, and improved end-user experiences—while helping customers eliminate manual, error-prone processes and automate the handoffs of product data across the enterprise to drive greater efficiency and collaboration.
Streamlined Manufacturing with View Work Instructions
Originally introduced in version 9.7 as an out-of-the-box (OOTB) application, Navigate’s View Work Instructions app brings real-time, role-based access to 3D or PLM based digital work instructions directly to manufacturing teams—particularly those on the shop floor. In version 10.0, the app has been enhanced to better support the needs of manufacturing teams. With these updates, operators and other manufacturing users can now:
Gain Clearer Context Across Manufacturing Steps
The View Work Instructions app now supports a broader range of Windchill MPM process plan configurations, including enterprise operations without child sub-operations. This gives Manufacturing teams complete visibility into the production process and enables better decision-making on the shop floor—without requiring Manufacturing Engineering teams to modify the structure of their process plans..
Access Richer Instructional Content in One Place
Operators and engineers can now access all essential content—from primary documents to supporting materials like videos, PDFs, and reference images—directly within the app. This centralized access eliminates the need to jump between tools, making it faster and easier to follow complex instructions with full supporting context.
Always See the Right Version of the Right Data
The app now intelligently surfaces the latest checked-in version of product data to users on the shop floor, and allows authors to preview their checked-out, in-progress, work instructions in the Navigate View work instructions app. This enhancement, aligned with Windchill’s core behavior, reduces errors and improves trust by ensuring users are working with the most accurate and relevant information available.
The result is clearer guidance, faster execution, and tighter alignment between engineering and production.
Closing the Loop: Real-Time Collaboration with Engineering
Operators can now report problems directly from the app, triggering Windchill workflows that speed resolution and close feedback loops. This drives faster response times, improves product quality, and encourages active collaboration through cross-functional participation in PLM processes—without requiring users to navigate unfamiliar systems or submit via paper-based processes.
These advancements not only reduce the burden on IT, but also empower business users with better-connected tools that fit their day-to-day workflows—making Navigate a cornerstone for better customer and employee experiences.
Built for Customization, Ready for Scale
Navigate 10.0 delivers 19 new public APIs and visual components to accelerate rapid app development, making it easier than ever for IT teams and system integrators to tailor experiences and build cross-system mashups. With low-code tools and configurable components, teams can:
- Embed work instruction data into MES/ERP workflows
- Customize role-specific apps that meet unique business needs—without altering backend systems
These APIs allow developers to retrieve work instruction data directly from Windchill for use in third-party MES systems or tailored applications. Built on Windchill REST Services (WRS), the APIs simplify data access and processing through helper services that streamline integration and creation of custom user experiences using reusable visualization components.
The new APIs include:
- Data Retrieval APIs to access MPM Process Plans and related structures
- Utility APIs to transform and present data via visual components in ThingWorx
- Access Control APIs to manage permissions and ensure secure, role-based data access
Manufacturers looking to modernize their digital enterprise need solutions that deliver value quickly and scale effortlessly. Navigate 10.0 rises to that challenge by improving integration with enterprise systems, enabling easier app development via the underlying ThingWorx Platform, and offering out-of-the-box tools that dramatically shorten deployment timelines. The result: faster ROI, with the right product data in the right context and the right system of engagement, for every stakeholder.
Unified Branding, Secure Seamless Experience
Windchill Navigate is now fully unified under the Windchill brand, while continuing to leverage the flexibility of the ThingWorx platform to provide a cohesive, intuitive experience across the PLM ecosystem. Documentation, support, and product updates are streamlined—reinforcing Navigate’s role as a natural extension of your Windchill environment.
New in 10.0, Windchill Navigate adds support for certificate-based authentication (CBA), enhancing security and simplifying access. By reducing reliance on shared accounts and passwords, CBA helps prevent phishing and cookie theft—especially valuable on shop floors where shared systems are common. It streamlines login, making access faster, easier, and more secure.
Why Windchill Navigate 10.0 Matters
Navigate 10.0 isn’t just a release—it’s a strategic enabler for manufacturers seeking to unlock the full potential of their product data. With out-of-the-box role-based apps and customizable interfaces, it:
- Democratizes access to critical product information
- Reduces costly errors and data workarounds
- Lightens IT load with governed, secure deployment options
- Accelerates project timelines with faster collaboration and better decisions
Whether you're a shop floor operator executing work instructions, a manufacturing engineer resolving issues, or an IT leader building scalable PLM extensions, Navigate 10.0 brings the right information to the right user—at the right time and in the right context.
Ready to Experience the Next Generation of PLM Access?
Discover how Windchill Navigate 10.0 can elevate your teams’ productivity, streamline enterprise collaboration, and make product data work smarter for your business.
Get started today with an interactive Windchill Navigate Demo